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A Nosy Affair

I was wondering whether everybody around me was getting that
smell or was it only me. I checked the sole of my shoe to make sure I didn't step on something I shouldn't have had, I checked the surroundings; nothing
seemed foul. In fact, the setting was as
pleasant as it could get; centralized AC, closed sliding windows, clean-white
flooring and to add to that, nobody was holding a handkerchief or even making
strange bewildered faces like I was. This was annoying. “What’s that smell boss?”

I was in the queue for booking tickets at a well known
travel agent. Why did I even plan this
trip? Hyperbole! Why did I choose this
day to book tickets?? That’s better! My asking questions and talking to
myself was not at all distracting my nose, which was displaying extraordinary smelling
skills today from the past thirty minutes.
I order you; Stop smelling!

In despair, I started smelling the form and the notes in my
hand. Ah! They smell wonderful. My
sister had told me to take my 2 year old nephew - Soumitra with me. I regret my
decision to not bring him. Babies smell wonderful because they are always
covered under a layer of baby powder. I know
I am sounding pathetically selfish. The only thing that was worth cheering for
was the slowly and steadily moving queue. Ten more to go! Go! Go! Go! Go! I wondered
if I said that loudly because the man standing in front of me moved out. I
looked on as he went away. Suddenly he turned back. Is he coming towards me? Yes, he is coming towards me. “I will be
back in two minutes.” he said with a bright smile. I nodded. Ok.

Slowly the smell went on fading away. I took a sigh of
relief (literally). The gush of fresh air into my nostrils was such a delight
but that did not last long. The smell was back with a “Thanks”. It joined back
the queue in front of me. It was the man
in front of me! I am sure it is this man. I found him. Yuck! He smells awful. This
smells like at least a week without bathing. Go immerse yourself in a barrel full of perfume.

I looked back. There were about 8-9 people in the queue. I
thought it was better to get lost from here or I would lose my smelling senses.
I went out and joined the queue at the very end. After some 3-4 minutes, the
guy standing behind me also came back. Hahaha,
another victim of the human smell bomb. Another guy came back after sometime. Oh my God! If all the people come back, I
will be in hell again. This went on till only one person was left between
me and the smell. Thankfully, he was at the ticket window. Poor guy behind him, he can’t leave the line when he has got this
close to the window. He has to bear him.

“Nikhil, wake up”, out of nowhere my mother arrived the
ticket counter and she is waking me up. I
am not sleeping Maa. I took time to realise that all this smelly ticketing
business was just a dream. Otherwise,
why would I go and stand in those queues when I could book the tickets online. Stupid dream. “What happened? What did
you see?” she asked hurriedly. “Let me freshen up. I will bath first then book
the tickets and then tell you everything. Please switch on the Racold water heater”, I
replied back exhausted.

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A fun, food and film loving engineer who finds pleasure in writing. Music gratifies me and I desire to be able to play the piano sometime. Benjamin Franklin said - "Do something worth writing or write something worth reading" to which I believe I would rather write just for the love of it!